So my girlfriend just got a full suspension MTB. Her first bike. She’s been on it about 2-3 short rides. She’s not completely new to bikes, she’s been road biking for a little while on occasion but never super consistently.
She wants to ride with me and wanted to work on her drops. I said we could give it a go and we started on some small drops. However see the video I’ve attached. In my opinion she doesn’t have the core basics yet to attempt drops. I told her we should spend time just riding trails and doing practice maneuvering the bike in flat ground then when she builds up her skills… move to drops.
This caused a shy storm and she thinks I’m being mean and not letting her learn her ways. I just don’t want her to eat it and get hurt. I’ve tried to explain this to her but she’s very stubborn.
Am I being over dramatic? Should I just let her go for it and try to give her advice? I mean I can’t control what she does but it just seems not being able to ride straight or move the bike around properly… isn’t a good mix for practicing drops.
Tell me what should I do here lol.
by bryanbgw
42 Comments
I mean you are correct but so is she. If she wants to learn by doing she will learn. Sometimes it takes a fall or two to get you to understand the risk. Obviously don’t let try anything too dangerous
😬
Don’t stop her if she wants to do it. She could use more speed and maybe different shoes if they aren’t gripping.
Tbh from this video there are a huge amount of basics and fundamentals I’d do before drops. In saying that I’ve had friends that are equally stubborn and I’ve found the only way to get through to them is to let them eat the ground and learn that way
Show her the crash videos.
Why is it mandatory for a beginner to do drops ? Dude, just start by taking her on green / blue runs that are rollable … don’t be the typical dick boyfriend that refuses to compromise and brings her down technical stuff on her first few rides with her.
Just make sure she’s in a neutral position with her butt out of the seat (and seat post down) on descents and that’s it .. do some chill rides with her
She’s going to get hurt. She needs lessons, but she doesn’t want them from you. Take lessons together. Let this be something you both learn together. Even if you’ve been riding for a while, you still need improvement and a coach to critique you. Everyone can benefit from a few classes on fundamentals. The longer you’ve ridden, the more likely you’ve developed bad habits. Approach it that way with her. You’re both pros who just want to get better! The better you ride, the more fun it is! Good luck and don’t take her near drops and jumps until she’s ready.
I think you already know she’s gonna get hurt if she continues down this path.
I’m an old dude who just started MTB (40K km gravel riding since 2015)
I know enough to know i needed to level up my MTB skills so got lessons and also now have a training program to improve flexibility and MTB Specific strength.
The GF managed the drop but feet coming off pedals is a key that she could use some training or will crash soon.
Yup like others have said you are definitely right but I feel like everyone needs to learn from their first big crash the hard way… happened to me as well when I first started and I learned my limits real quick afterwards.
She should sign up for a clinic. Possibly a woman’s only clinic. It’s not a good idea for your partner to try to teach you things. Ask me how I know….
Good luck.
Never ever ever try to coach your s.o… 99 times out of 100 it ends up win a fight or performance anxiety….
Videos, camps, instructors, group rides,also has to be a shared passion or you’ll have to adjust your expectations (coming from a guy about to drag his wife mtb ing in utah and Arizona next month, also who’s wife has shin scars from following me on the “easiest trail i know”)
Tread lightly young man…
Looks like she needs a coach instead of some dude who says “there’s a drop, good luck.”
Show her the Kyle and April videos… There’s one where this pro MTBer coached his GF how to do drops.
This is helpful because it shows you what someone might struggle with when they’re learning it instead of just watching a pro do it and make it look easy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxPh6Z1q16Q
She’s been on 2-3 rides. Chill the fuck out dude.
I tried to get my wife into MTB. It didnt end well.
Your gf will learn.
If you teach her, you might suffer (as you’ve already experienced lol)
If a handlebar meets her chin, or the rolling tires her butt, she will learn (but you won’t suffer)
On the one hand, you are correct. I was expecting to read something else and think you are being a jerk or something, but I agree.
On the other hand, A LOT of times in relationships, coaching doesn’t work. Unless you have just the right method or luck*, the dynamic just doesn’t work.
*I’m not sure which. I’ve successfully coached a couple of girlfriends, and I’m not sure if it’s luck or my method.
Is this the step downs at whistler? Was this from the summer?
Adult female who started a few years ago here!
I realized pretty quickly, without crashing, that I had no idea what I was doing and I’ve done a few clinics and it helped tremendously. They took my seat post away to get me into ready position for my first drops. Also There are lots of women’s only rides out there and I 10/10 recommend suggesting she go out and ride without you, too.
That being said I kinda side eye that she is starting on a full sus- only bc I have yet to own one and have chosen to put myself through the “just get stronger” mindset of riding. Happy for her tho lol.
https://preview.redd.it/rn77e8lh96lg1.png?width=720&format=png&auto=webp&s=a2a48ab0adfd56d0bab858f3fa6dfbd764608f1e
Show her
My advise as someone who success taught my then girlfriend now wife to mtb (shes now just as obsessed as I am). Let her learn at her own pace and don’t try and force her into something or hold her back. Instead focus on giving small actionable pointers. Don’t tell her not to do something, tell her what she can do to make the thing easier. Also buy her nice mid level gear as gifts it’s hard enough to learn without using entry level stuff.
You must be able to manual before doing drops. She needs to be able to baby manual off a curb first.
Two things:
* You may not be the best teacher for your girlfriend (that’s ok). A dedicated class might be easier and less tense for her to learn rather than you saying what to/not to do. After all, she wants to do this thing with you and being told she’s doing it wrong (even with good intentions) really shits on that parade.
* More generally, if people have challenges taking constructive criticism in a relationship that’s a good thing to work on together *separately from the activity in question at first*. You never want to be nitpicking someone regardless, but ideally a fight doesn’t result if someone is offering constructive and *welcomed* advice.
If she wants to do drops, you guys need to find a drop she can work on that isn’t gonna send her OTB and smash her face into the ground. She took that like a road cyclist lol
More of a relationship advice question, but you’re right she doesn’t have the basics yet. Needs to get her ass off the seat and not rely on the bike to absorb the whole impact
I know this park. Those boards are pretty old, bumpy and slow me down a ton. I feel alot more confident on the ones at duthie
Get her a full face helmet and body protection.
Then let her do her thing.
Instructor here. She does not have the fundamental skill required for drops.
The order that I generally teach drops in is
1. Basic body positioning. Neutral and Ready. Bike wiggles.
2. Vision.
3. Brake control. Medium speed controlled skids on low friction terrain (low angle gravel). Front and rear braking.
4. Brake control. Extreme low speed down a slippery gully. Slow races.
5. Peek and Push. Curbs first then taller rollable drop.
6. Basic drops. Curbs first then a taller rollable drop.
I don’t let any of my students progress until I am comfortable with their execution of the predecessor skill. Shes going to break her collarbone.
Not only does she lack the fundamental skills to do it, I imagine you lack the skills necessary to teach her. No offense. Friends and partners are usually the worst teachers. Most of the time they barely know what they are doing themselves, much less have the ability to accurately communicate it. Teaching is a practiced skill. It is an entire discipline of its own.
was in the same boat a while ago with my partner only that she wanted to learn to drop in on a half pipe in quad skates. she didn’t have insurance at the time and she also wasn’t a very strong skater to begin with. i discouraged her for those reasons. she eventually got hurt doing some street skating and was upset with me for limiting her learning experience as if it would’ve prevented the injury. maybe it would, maybe it wouldn’t, but I learned a long time ago to let them take things at their own pace. it’s cool that you took this video, clearly it shows her technique needs work and that’s all good if yall do it with safety in mind. show her some accidents on drops, it could get her to think more clearly about the risks.
Teach her how to do drops. Start with getting her to be able to lift the front wheel off of flat ground by throwing her weight back, like a little manual. It’ll be just *one* thing she learns that’ll help her do drops correctly. Help her find the right speed too off of this particular drop too. Now that she knows what it feels like, she’ll probably feel more comfortable doing it again and again and again until she gets it right. If she wants to learn drops, she should be able to. Smaller ones like this don’t pose a massive risk, usually, but even a beginner can get it down pretty quickly. It’ll probably boost her confidence elsewhere too.
She’s just straight up casually pedaling over the edge without doing anything else to adjust weight or position. Add another foot to the drop and I think she will be over the bars.
Hopefully your goal is for this thread to help solve the argument. Let her read the replies which are all either “nooo don’t let her she’s gonna crash hard” or “sometimes you just have to let them crash hard”
a handle bar… so disappointed, hoping for a supre…
Tell her she’ll buss her face open if she doesn’t listen and you don’t wanna witness that so for that reason I’m not riding with you until you listen.
She is right. You are being overprotective and she needs to learn. As others are saying, you are not the right person to teach her.
Hey! Evergreen MTB club do some women led skill clinics at this park that are fantastic if you want her to learn from someone that is not you. And personally, I completely get where she’s coming from. 1 month into dating my now husband I decided because he was a good skateboarder I could probably do it and just learn how to ollie. He suggested I skate around town and get comfortable. I said no and broke my own ankle. I would love for her not to learn the hard way because drops are way more dangerous. Also crank sisters is a local women’s mtb group! This is my neighborhood park sorry for creeping.
If she wants to learn, doesn’t mind a few scrapes and bruises, and is excited to challenge her skills, then teach her the hard way. Obviously, a class would be ideal, but she has the right to learn the best way she knows how, like you did. Just don’t let her take obstacles while seated again, as that was the horrific to watch. At least tell her to stand up so her feet stay planted and that she needs to drop and land on the back wheel, with enough speed to not let the front wheel drop, to avoid a faceplant. Give her a few side by side runups to get the speed part dialed. From there, it’s just guts and practice.
She just needs more speed for this drop. Give her a chance to build some confidence! Do some more drops here and explain why the speed will keep her front wheel up.
She’s a little apprehensive here and that’s totally understandable on a new bike doing new things. It’s a little dangerous!! Confidence is key.
Just be patient and supportive. Set out some simple lessons and goals to achieve to start and let her experience some wins. Gradually work on tougher things. If you know what you’re doing just explain how exactly you’re doing each obstacle. [weight transfer, balance, speed, etc.]
It’s easier for you because you have the experience.
Keep taking video and show her how much easier it could be if she did [a] [b] or [c].
If she feels discouraged, let her know you’re enjoying spending your time with her doing something you love to do and she’s going to be awesome. It’s just going to take a little time.
Source- Golf instructor.
Also a proud mountain biker and washed up bmx rider and skater.
Swan Creek?
You should support her because that’s your job. You aren’t her dad or her coach, you’re her partner. Encourage her to ride safely and improve.
You’re a bad teacher. You’re already running to the internet for advice.
I think you’re right. There’s plenty of weight transfer drills and stuff she should be doing to get her timing down before she tries something like that again. People get hurt doing a lot less than that.
Have her work on dropping off a curb or something and landing with both wheels at the same time, that might help her fix her timing and get her weight back. If she keeps trying to do what she’s doing, she’s on track to break her face.